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“Teacher” ready to negotiate with Osama

Islamabad: Al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden’s Pakistani “teacher” Maulana Sher Ali Shah has said he is willing to negotiate with the world’s number one terrorist if approached by the government of Pakistan.

Mr. Shah, who was invited to judge the annual All Karachi Madrassas’ Speech Competition’ in the port city of Karachi, said he was willing to talk to both Osama and Tehreek-e-Taliban’s Mullah Omar, who was also said to be his disciple. However Mr. Shah, who heads the Hadith department at Jamia Haqqania in NWFP, denied having taught either of them or having any direct contact with them. He said Omar studied at Kandahar and Osama at Madina.

“A few days ago, two groups of the Pakistan Taliban developed differences and I went to counsel them. I told them that from Matta to Kohat, the people respect the Taliban, and in a way you are the area’s undeclared rulers.

“The power you have now has been given to you by Allah. You should completely avoid slaughtering humans as it is ‘haram’ in Islam. Stop destroying national resources and kidnapping government officials,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

Mr. Shah also taught Swat’s Maulana Fazlullah. He recalled how the young man wanted to first tackle Afghanistan, then Kashmir and Palestine. —PTI